Barton Silverman/The New York Times. Quarterback Drew Brees with his son, Baylen, after the Saints’ victory over the Colts on Sunday.

What emotions or images does your mind conjure up when you think about the Super Bowl? Perhaps you think about conquest, athletic prowess or the enactment of traditional gender roles. What perhaps is not at the forefront of your mind is affection, care and fatherhood.

This year the Super Bowl’s most valuable player, Drew Brees did something that put a nation to tears. As the nation was looking at him and applauding him for his achievement, he was sharing a private moment with his one-year-old son, seemingly unconcerned with the outside world beyond their father son interaction.

This moment in time evokes questions around masculinity: what does it mean to be a “real man” what behaviors, attitudes and responsibilities do we ascribe to that? How was this moment different from other great Super Bowl moments? And with the largest television audience in history, what new messages was this sending about professional male athletes?

What are athlete’s responsibilities to our community in their positions as role models? How can this platform be used to create healthy, sustainable communities?

Welcome to Mens Nonviolence Project

The Men's Nonviolence Project seeks to encourage men to take an active role in ending men's violence against women. MNP provides information, resources, and connections to inspire and support the involvement of men and boys in preventing domestic violence.

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Guide to Engaging Men and Boys in Preventing Violence Against Women & Girls

The Men's Non Violence Project under the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) has created a guide to engage men and boys in prevention programs. Working with men and boys is not a new idea in Texas nonviolence activist work. For decades men and boys have engaged through Batterer Intervention and Prevention Programs and nonviolence programs. Non-violence is now taking one additional step and getting communities across the state to work on creating long-term, transformative prevention efforts by focusing on gender socialization and how it contributes to gender-based violence.

Violence prevention requires a change in the social conditions that impact the community which make violence normal and acceptable. TCFV is hopeful this guide will help communities engage men and boys in prevention programs that create lasting change.